Our ancestors must have been an agricultural people living at peace in the midst of the clearing in the dense forest that surrounded it. There is evedence to be found in our lanes and hedgerows. The cow-wheat grew in all. It abounded throughout Hornhurst Wood, in the lane from Highgate to the Warren Farm, at Cottage Hill, Gravel Hill, Sheriffs Lane, Boarshead, Hamsell, Crowborough and it is said, cow-wheat grows only on the site of ancient forests. Wherever, therefore, its pale yellow, snap-dragon-like sprays were seen, they told of the isolation of the first inhabitants here amidst the forest extract from Rotherfield: The Story of some Wealden Manors by Catherine Pullein

Rotherfield is a village and large parish in the East Grinstead division of Sussex, in the hundred of Rotherfield, rape of Pevensey, rural deanery of East Grinstead, archdeaconry of Lewes and diocese of Chichester. Rotherfield is 7 miles from Tunbridge Wells and 47 miles south of London. The parish of Rotherfield included Crowborough and Jarvis Brook up until Crowborough was formed into an ecclesiatical parish on 19th September 1880 and into a civil parish on 1st April 1905The population of Rotherfield in 1811 was 2,122; in 1841 was 3,054; in 1861 was 3,413; in 1871 was 4,149; in 1881 was 4,344 (of whom 1,700 were in Crowborough); in 1891 was 5,099 (of whom 2,068 were in Crowborough); in 1901 was 2,322 (ex Crowborough); in 1911 was 2,870 (ex Crowborough); in 1921 was 2,821 (ex Crowborough); and in 1931 was 2,821 (ex Crowborough).

Places and properties in Rotherfield - a directory of homes, farms, churches, schools, inns, and other places of interest that existed prior to 1900 has been compiled from Post Office directories, Kelly's directories, Trade directories, Census data, Ordnance survey maps and books of the period